1. EP101 Classroom Management Unit 5: The Classroom Culture

2. Agenda Announcements/Reminders Writing Center Follow Up-U6 Project Unit 4 Review Seminar Questions Unit 5 Preview Conclusion

3. Review: Key points of Paraprofessional Standards NCLB Standards Individual State Standards (certifications, assessments, etc.) Local Standards Advocate organizations (NRCP, CEC, etc.)

4. Unit 4 Review (continued) Key points of Classroom Arrangement Seating/furniture Distractions/high traffic Personal space/community space Consider type of instruction/age level appropriate Decoration-values, expression, messages Secure and comfort

5. Unit 5 Assignments Readings E-book “Paraprofessionals in the Classroom" Chapter 5 Presentation on “Teacher Expectations” Learning Activities Web article "Characteristics of an Effective Classroom Culture" Presentation on "Classroom Culture" Unit Summary Discussion Question on the classroom culture Graded Review (just one) Seminar

6. What is Classroom Culture? Influenced by: Rules and procedures Interactions/relationships among students and between teacher/para and students Group cohesiveness Behavior management approach Attitude towards diversity Shared control Type of instruction (teacher-centered or student- centered?) Teacher/Para Expectations & attitudes Curriculum-is it relevant to “real life?”

7. Classroom Culture Videos 1.Classroom Environment at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsVKMuIvsZM&feat ure=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsVKMuIvsZM&feat ure=related 2. Creating a Comfortable Classroom Climate at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwcXHpa2i9A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwcXHpa2i9A 3. How to Create an Empowering Environment at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhKKsvG1n6Q&feat ure=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhKKsvG1n6Q&feat ure=related

8. Seminar Questions 1. What is the purpose of establishing a classroom culture? How does this facilitate learning? Give specific examples. 2. Why do we want to encourage academic risk- taking and how do we insure that students feel safe in being risk-takers? 3. What is the relationship between the classroom culture and the attitude and perceptions of the adults that interact with students? (articles in Doc Sharing)

9. Unit 5 Preview: The Classroom Culture What IS “classroom culture?” How do you create a warm, inviting, cooperative classroom? How do you encourage academic risk- taking? How do the backgrounds and personal/family/community values affect the class culture?

10. Seminar Questions (cont) Is the teacher/para’s perception of the students important? Why? How do you build positive teacher/para-student relationships? How do you build cooperative student-student relationships? What is the place of diversity?

11. Organization & Management of the Learning Environment Teacher as a Classroom Manager (“sage on the stage” vs. “guide on the side”) Curriculum (content) Instructional Strategies (how it’s taught) Management (flow from one activity to next, sequence, transitions, etc.) Curriculum Requirements Modification for Special Education (activities, instructions, difficulty level) Influence of increased testing

12. Testing Humor—Real Answers Kids Give What is the future tense of “I give?” The future of "I give" is "I take." Name two parts of speech. The parts of speech are lungs and air. Who are the inhabitants of Moscow? The inhabitants of Moscow are called Mosqitoes. Define H2O and CO2. H2O is hot water and CO2 is cold water. In which direction do the Alps run? The general direction of the Alps is straight up. What do we call the followers of Christ? The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 oppossums. Describe the spinal column. The spinal column is a long bunch of bones. The head sits on the top and you sit on the bottom. Name the four seasons. The four seasons are salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar. From “Kids Say the Darndest Things” at http://privateschool.about.com/od/humor/qt/darndest.htm http://privateschool.about.com/od/humor/qt/darndest.htm